Flag



Apr 1931- c. P. MATTESON FLAG Filed May 20, 1950 INVENTOH ATTO RN 5Y5 Patented Apr. 21, 1931 I UNITE PATENT OFFiCE CLYDE P. MATTESON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN FLAG Application filed May 29, 1930. Serial No. 454,141.

This invention relates to means for prethe conclusion that the question of regulating venting a substantially horizontally suspendits levitation in response to the wind currents ed flag or banner from becoming entangled to which it is subjected, and to the adoption I about a supporting pole or halliard and has of means for maintainin the flag against for its object the counteracting of the tendcollapse upon and fall with the supporting ency of the fabric surface of the flag as a may be compared more or less generally whole, combined with its flexible character with the problems incurred in the designing to permit wind currents of constantly varyof an ai plane Wing as regards its lengthwise ing degrees and direction to create a belied cross-sectional contour. In other words,

or bagging efiect in its central portion which there is a certain point measured from front tends to lift the flag from its normally deto rear of an airplane wing at which experipendent position not only to a more or less mentation has found that the impinging horizontal position but even so far beyond wind pressure is the greatest and adjacent that as to permit the intermediate and end and immediately above the top surface of 15 portions of the flag to drop upon or over the which there is a corresponding maximum of supporting staff when the wind current temvacuum-induced lift; and applying this prinporarily changes or when because of its atciple, subject to the modification that the flag tainment of a nearly vertical position the fabric when drawn off tight represents a uplifting influence of the wind no longer has plane of uniform thickness rather than a a lifting effect upon the bagged portion inicontoured body of variant and tapered 7o tially created, and also when the general anthickness, I apply the principles deducible gularity attained by the flag as a whole has therefrom to the application to the fabric or reduced to a negligible degree any uplifting web of the flag as a whole and as suspended O, efiect due to the presence in a greater or less of locating at the corresponding point of degree of a vacuum tendency on the upper maximum lift and uplifting air pressure side of the flag. a series of depressing weights which tend It has been my experience that the mere to counteract the belling or concaving tend- Weighting of the flag as for example by inency of the flag at that point. This being M tegrating a wooden or metal rod with the done, such a proportion of the remainder of lower edge thereof as suspended merely the flag surface as a whole namely that part accentuates the probability that the flag relatively remote from the suspending staff as suspended will lend itself to bending 0r halliard cannot present or constitute such or flexing into a bagged or inbent contour a potential belling surface as will permit the 5 as the wind strikes it, thus, not only increasend even when lifted by the wind to approach ing the likelihood of the flag being raised by a location of tangible propensity to the staff the wind to a point where its lower end will so to become fouled therewith. fall over upon and become entangled with the In the drawings: supporting stafi or halliard but as well set- Figure 1 is an edge View of a flag in a horiting up an additional strain upon the fabric zontallyiblown position and of its supporting as such change contributes to the probability staff with the approximate and probable loci so of its being torn or at least soiled by addiof unit lift at various points lengthwise of the tionallyfrequent wiping of portions thereof flag indicated in dotted lines, or, in aeroagainst the supporting staff as the flag falls nautical or mathematical terms, its forced when the wind pressure temporarily ceases. polygon.

It being far from objectionable that such Figure 2 is a perspective of a horizontally a suspended flag should be lifted by the wind suspended flag responding to the uplifting from its initially vertically suspended posiinfluence of a wind current but with an indition even to the degree of substantial coincication of the preferred positioning of the dedence with the horizontal or even slightly pressing weights hereinafter described at the more, my study of the subject has led me to points of maximum uplift.

Figure 3 is a similar perspective illustrating a horizontally suspended flag in ideally outblown position due to the cooperative action of the weights there shown.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional elevational view showing a )referred form of attacl'iing means of a weight to the flag fabric.

Figures 5 and (i are respectively elevational and edge views of a possible alternative method of attaching or structurally integrating the flag and the weights.

At A is shown a horizontally or nearly horizontally extending flag staff, such as would be supported upon the sill of a window particularly of an office or store building for effecting the displayed support of a flag over the sidewalk or street a whole. Such flag may either be attached directly to the pole or may be carried upon hailiards I). The blanket or flag fabric as a whole indicated at C, and of course may be of any desired d? mensions and any relative size as regards contrasting length and width, and of such number of thicknesses of fabric may be selected. It being desirable that the waving and undulation of the flag as a whole shall not result in its lifting and the swing of its free edge beyond the vertical line a-a shown in Figure 1, I find that in IlOIl'Xlill use the location of maximum uplift of an undulated flag may generally be expected to be located at about the point outwardly from the suspended edge indicated by the dotted line Z)b in Figure 1, and speaking in terms of proportionate length, it is my experience that this point of maximum lift is located along the line approximately one-fourth of the distance from the statf-supported edge of the flag to 21rd its outer or freely flapping end. Along this line therefore I position a plurality of Weights as I), preferably in the form of flattened slugs positioned in pockets E which are inconspicuously and yet firmly sewed onto or bet ween the layers of the main flag fabric, and which by their presence in this point of maximum lift tend to break down or offset the wind-induced belling-up of the flag fabric at that point, thus maintaining the space as F located between that line and the supporting staff or halliard relatively straight. For many purposes this is adequate to so space whatever belling-up may occur in the remaining and relatively remote three-quarters of the flag surface, so far from the supporting staff that even if such belling does occur on that part, the fall thereof upon the temporary cessation of the wind current results only in its harmless and nonentangling fall upon the portion F nearest the staff, and in no event permitting its passage beyond the line ?)-b such as would then permit its entanglement with the staff or halliard.

In such instances, ifthis provision does not prove adequate, I counteract the further or supplemental belling-up of the flag as re gards the outer three-quarters of its wind exposed surface by the provision of preferably one additional weight, as G, only, this being located substantially centrally of the flag as measured from one lateral edge to another, thus locating this supplemental depressing weight at a point substantially central of the expected location of supplemental bulging or boiling-up of the flag fabric. Thus, it will be noted that the location of the first pair of weights D tend to keep stationary the entire width of the flag blanket nearest that supporting staff and in practically fully spread out position and the additional weight G tends to extend this influence through a large part of the remaining three-(piarters of the surface of the flag thus leaving only the free outer corners as II free to flap and become temporarily pulled over onto the remaining portion of the fla g blanket as a whole.

In some cases it may be advisable to fur- L r supplement this by the location of an additional air-foil-counteractive weight, as J, at a point intermediate the line to which the principal depressing weights 1) are located on the s pending staff or halliard, this illst d in Figure 3. In any and nese forms however, it will be noted the freely flying outer edge of the flag is subjected to no strain other than that of its own weight and that resultantly, any tendency to belling-up such as would result from the weighting of the entire free outer edge of the flag is fully avoided. Not only is this advisable from the standpoint of the wind-induced belling-up, or bulging of the flag which would result from such an. arrangement, but as well, any possibility of the breakage of windows in the floor beneath that from whose window the flag is suspended and in front of which the free outer edge of the flag would depend avoided.

It will be obvious that in place of the pocket supports for the inclusion of the weights, as shown at D and E, the screw-integrated weights M and N shown in Figures 5 and (3 could be easily substituted therefor without departure from the fair spirit of my invention, the screw K passing through a small and if desired marginally reinforced hole in the flag fabric, and the two discs or weight members M and N closely pressed against the surfaces of the flag fabric to a degree meas ured by their breadth or size, thus avoiding to the maximum any tearing influence upon the fabric as the flag is fiapped in the wind.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. Means for counteracting the tendency of a horizontally suspended flag to assume an airfoil-induced contour, comprising a plurality of selectively positioned weight members integratedly associated with the fabric thereof at the points of calculated maximum air lift upon its surface, whereby the belling-up tendency of the fabric alone at those locations is weightedly opposed.

2. A display flag adapted for horizontal suspension from a support with which the avoidance of its possible entanglement due to air lift is desired, comprising a fabric blanket of selected dimensions and a plurality of weight members attached thereto at the points of expected maximum air lift.

3. A display flag, comprising a fabric base of suitable dimensions and a plurality of weight members associated with the body thereof at points of maximum air lift, whereby the tendency of the flag body to be lifted by the wind to a position of potential entanglement with a substantially horizontal supporting shaft is counteracted.

4C. In combination with a pendently supported flag body, means for counteracting the tendency thereof to respond to the air lift influence of the wind, comprising a plurality of weight members attached thereto at approximately the expected location of the maximum airfoil pressure thereon.

5. In combination with a flag whose suspension along one edge from a substantially horizontal support is desired, a plurality of members responsive to gravity influence to a degree in excess of the interior portions of the fiags surface to which they are attached, adapted to counteract the tendency of the flag fabric as a whole to assume an air-foilinduced contour upward.

6. The combinatiomwith a pendently supported flag fabric, of weight members associated with, those portions of the flag as a whole spacedly located from the marginal edges thereof, at which, the dimensions of the flag being taken into consideration, the maximum air lift may be expected to exert itself.

7. In combination with a pendently supported flag, a plurality of weight members attached to that portion of the flags lengthwise extent at which the maximum air lift is reasonably expectable, whereby the windinduced rise thereofto a position of possible entanglement with the element supporting the flag is opposed, while leaving the free end of the flag prohibitively far from possible lifting thereover and fall thereupon.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

CLYDE P. MATTESON. 

